Racialization of culture is not a new phenomenon. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva argues white Americans participate in cultural racism toward African Americans, where cultural differences replace biological differences. For example, the stereotype of African Americans as lazy or not hard working is attributed to deficiencies in black culture, so they are blamed for any inequities in education and wealth (Bonilla-Silva 2002). The pitting of Muslim values against American values is another example of cultural racism. Cultural racism does not replace the reality that skin tone still matters in a racialized society but highlights the importance of racialized cultural attributes.

XREF: Builds on racial formation theory and connects to contemporary 'model minority' and 'cultural poverty' discourse debates. DEFINE: Defines cultural racism as a mode where cultural attributes replace biological ones as the basis of racial blame.

Saher Selod, Forever Suspect_ Racialized…, loc. 247